A person who enters someone else's property without permission, or who violates a rule or boundary.
From 'trespass,' derived from Old French 'trespasser' (to pass over or beyond). Originally meaning any transgression, it became legally specific for unauthorized entry onto property in medieval times.
Trespass used to mean any kind of wrongdoing—even the Lord's Prayer has 'forgive us our trespasses'—but it became narrowly legal and property-focused in the Middle Ages when landowner rights became crucial. Now it's very specifically about property!
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